The present invention relates to connectors, particularly to a connector serving to establish a connection with a connection target that comprises a plate- or sheet-like base having a surface on which a conductor pattern is disposed, such as a flexible printed circuit (FPC), a flexible flat cable (FFC) or a rigid circuit board.
As a connector of this type, for example, JP 2011-249206 A discloses a connector 2 that establishes a connection with a connection target 1 as shown in FIG. 30. The connection target 1 has at its end a connector fitted piece 3 and at its opposite lateral edges cutouts 4 used for positioning. At a connector body 5 of the connector 2, there are formed an insertion recess 6 for receiving the connector fitting piece 3 and projections 7 corresponding to the cutouts 4 of the connection target 1. The connector 2 also includes a metal shell 8 rotatably attached to the connector body 5 and metal fixing parts 9 disposed above the projections 7.
With the shell 8 being stood upright so that the top of the connector body 5 is open, the connector fitting piece 3 is inserted in the insertion recess 6 of the connector body 5 as the projections 7 are inserted in the cutouts 4 of the connection target 1 as shown in FIG. 30, and thereafter, the shell 8 is pulled down to cover the top of the connector body 5 as shown in FIG. 31 whereby the connection target 1 is pressed onto the connector body 5.
The connection target 1 has a contact point (not shown) on the bottom surface facing the connector body 5, while a contact (not shown) is disposed on the connector body 5. When the connection target 1 is pressed onto the connector body 5 by the shell 8, the contact point of the connection target 1 is brought into contact with the contact of the connector 2, which establishes the connection between the connection target 1 and the connector 2.
When the shell 8 completely lies down, the lateral edges of the shell 8 catch on the metal fixing parts 9 of the connector 2, and as a result, the state where the connection target 1 is pressed onto the connector body 5 so that the connection target 1 is connected to the connector 2 is maintained.
Since the projections 7 of the connector body 5 are inserted in the cutouts 4 of the connection target 1, the connection target 1 is properly positioned with respect to the connector 2, and even if a force acting to pull out the connection target 1 from the connector 2 is exerted, the connection target 1 is prevented from being pulled out from the connector 2.
However, the metal fixing parts 9 for holding the shell 8 in the lying position are located above the projections 7 of the connector body 5 provided to position the connection target 1, that is, overlap the plane of the connection target 1 in the vertical direction, and this results in the increase in the height of the connector 2, disadvantageously.